


Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?

by ragingrainbow



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Dead Claudia Stilinski, Dead Talia Hale, Derek Comforts Stiles, Derek and Stiles are Mates, Ghosts (Kind Of), Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Stiles Comforts Derek, Stiles Meets Talia, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-02-04 11:03:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1776796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragingrainbow/pseuds/ragingrainbow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Stiles ignored the look Scott gave him. He was too jittery, had too much irritation creeping just beneath his skin, to shift his focus from the fact that Derek was </i>gone<i>. Derek probably didn’t even think about the fact that Stiles would worry. And that made Stiles more angry than anything, that even now Derek found it so hard to believe that Stiles would actually miss him that he couldn’t even leave a note.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [little_red_stiles_hood](https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_red_stiles_hood/gifts).



> Fill for this askbox prompt on Tumblr: [teen wolf, sterek, stiles meets talia (she can be dead or alive you pick)](http://ragingrainbow.tumblr.com/post/88622341997/teen-wolf-sterek-stiles-meets-talia-she-can-be-dead)  
> I'm calling artistic license when it comes to the claws thing. :P

Derek was gone. Stiles knew the moment he stepped foot in Derek’s apartment that he had to accept that fact. But he damn well didn’t have to like it, and Derek hadn’t told him not to follow, so there was no reason for him not to. 

“He hasn’t been here in days,” Scott said beside him. 

“I know,” Stiles was already scanning for something, anything that could be a clue as to why Derek left, where he had run off to. 

It had been five days. Five days since Stiles had woken up in his bed alone, even though he had gone to bed with Derek. It hadn’t surprised him then, wasn’t unusual for Derek to go out running before sunrise. He’d let it slip a second day too, because sometimes Derek did that - took off to scout out something he had picked up the scent of only to return a couple of nights later, more often than not without a word to Stiles about where he'd been. Stiles was fine with that, had accepted it as a part of being with Derek. But Derek always came back, and by the third night alone Stiles had felt the restlessness of missing his mate. 

“Do you think-?” Scott was wide-eyed now, but Stiles cut him off before he could say it. 

“NO!” Stiles closed his eyes for a moment, drew a deep, shaky breath. “No, he’s fine, I think he’s fine, he’s just - he’s a stupid dick who doesn’t _think_.” 

Stiles ignored the look Scott gave him. He was too jittery, had too much irritation creeping just beneath his skin, to shift his focus from the fact that Derek was _gone_. Derek probably didn’t even think about the fact that Stiles would worry. And that made Stiles more angry than anything, that even now Derek found it so hard to believe that Stiles would actually miss him that he couldn’t even leave a note. 

“A clue,” Stiles said, trying to refocus on the task at hand rather than the restlessness in his body. “We need a clue.” 

Scott nodded, and started looking around, scenting the air and shooting sidewards glances at Stiles. Stiles tried to ignore it, because his friend’s concern shouldn’t be making him feel like he was the one who might sprout fangs and claws at any given moment. He started looking through a pile of papers instead, with the feeble hope that maybe Derek had left some scribbled notes behind that would be enough for them to have a lead. 

It was pointless, really. Stiles had no idea what he expected to find here, Derek was well used to covering his tracks, and if he obviously hadn’t wanted Stiles to know where he was going. But something had drawn him here, some restless instinct that said that maybe he could find his answers here. And even more so, the feeling that maybe Derek needed him even if Stiles didn’t think Derek was hurt. 

Stiles was just about to declare defeat, maybe try to laugh off the ridiculousness of going through Derek’s things, when Scott swore loudly as a wooden box fell to the floor with a thud. Scott was just about to pick it up and retrieve the spilled contents when Stiles realized what it was and sprung into action. 

“No! Don’t touch those!” Scott stilled his movement with a questioning glance as Stiles moved to place himself in front of him. 

“Those are… Derek’s mom.” Stiles didn’t even know why it was so important that Scott didn’t touch the claws, only that is definitely _was_ important. He picked them up carefully and was just about to put them back in the box when a low growl from Scott made him look up. 

There was a large black wolf staring back at him, and Stiles’ grip on the claws tightened without him even thinking about it as the wolf cocked its head to the side and regarded him calmly. 

“It’s okay, Scott. She’s just… it’s alright.” He didn’t risk looking away from her, but he knew she wouldn’t hurt them. 

“Can I?” He held out his free hand to indicate his intention. She pricked her ears a little but made no other movement, and Stiles took it as an invitation. He felt Scott tense behind him, and he suddenly wished he was alone with her. 

Her fur felt soft under his fingers, her body solid and warm despite the fact that he knew she was nothing more than an illusion. She watched him the whole time, and her gaze reminded him of Derek, which made his heart clench. 

“He’s alright. But you should go to him.” 

She didn’t shift, made no indication of speaking, but Stiles heard her all the same. He was past the point of things like this creeping him out, and really, he was just relieved to know Derek was actually okay. 

“Where is he?” 

“Come.” She turned to leave, and Stiles looked to Scott. 

“I think I need to be-”

Scott cut him off. “Alone. Yes, go.” 

Stiles jumped in his Jeep outside, followed behind her as far as he could into the woods before he had to abandon it at the foot of a hill and walk. She drew closer to him then, her nose nudging his arm softly to urge him on. 

Stiles felt Derek’s presence even before he saw him. He was sitting on a rock, so very still and half covered by branches. Stiles knew that Derek had sensed them already, but Derek made no move that acknowledged that fact.

“He needs you.” She turned then, and gave Stiles one last approving glance before she disappeared, becoming part of the undergrowth rather than walking into it. 

Stiles stood still for a few moments, just watching Derek and giving him a chance to say something. But Derek remained still, and Stiles slowly moved closer to him. 

Derek made no move until Stiles was right beside him. He put his hand out then, and Stiles carefully dropped the claws into his hand. 

“She likes you,” Derek said softly, after a few more moments of silence. He moved over a little, a silent invite that Stiles accepted. 

Stiles said nothing. He didn’t know what to say, and he resisted the urge to babble. Derek’s hand brushed his, and he took it, rubbing his thumb against Derek’s skin. 

“I’m sorry,” Derek said eventually. “I needed - I just -” 

“It’s alright,” Stiles said, and he really meant it. “I know.”

Derek leaned closer, pressing his whole body against Stiles’ side. Stiles pressed a kiss to Derek’s chin. The sun was setting, the trees casting eerie shadows all around them. 

“This was her favourite place. I hadn’t been back here since -” 

Stiles clasped Derek’s hand tighter, leaned into the press of his body. 

“My mother loved yellow roses,” Stiles said. “She used to bring them inside from the garden. And I just… feel like I maybe should, but I haven’t been able to.”

Derek looked at him then, his head cocked to the side slightly. “I’ll bring you yellow roses.” 

Stiles managed a smile, and Derek smiled back. 

“Come home?” Stiles stood before Derek could answer, not releasing his grip on Derek’s hand. Derek made no protest, and they walked to the Jeep hand in hand. 

Stiles thought he could see flashes of black fur among the trees as he drove them home.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? by The Rolling Stones.


End file.
